Issue 72 · Winter 2015

Dear Readers,

2014 has been a very fruitful year for bilig. Our journal continued to be published without any interruptions. A total of 383 articles were evaluated in the 18 Editorial Board meetings held throughout the year. 164 of these articles were sent to referees and 65 were accepted for publication. 52 articles were published in our journal, suggesting a good balance between the number of submissions accepted for publication and the number of those actually published. This year bilig also published a special issue on the topic of Turks abroad.

2014 was also the most effective year for the publicity of bilig. From the beginning of 2014 onwards, I attended the project-writing seminars in Turcology and the social sciences organized by Bașkent, Ușak, İzmir Katip Ҫelebi, Mersin and Osmangazi Universities, introduced our journal and shared our experience concerning publication processes in academic journals. I also did the same in the seminars on article-writing and project-preparation organized by TÜBİTAK.

Last year we became international in the exact sense of the word. In November I introduced bilig in Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and in Abai University. Kazakh Television broadcast an interview on bilig, and newspapers published articles focusing on our journal. Additionally, I introduced bilig to our colleagues in Beijing University of Nationalities when I was there for an academic visit.

In 2014 bilig was represented in the 48th annual meeting of MESA (Middle East Studies Association of North America) by Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Akif Kirecci and Dr. Selim Tezcan, one of our authors. The participants in the meeting were given a CD including the first 50 issues of bilig as well as sample copies of new and recent issues.

In 2014 we developed a program allowing us to conduct and follow all procedures related to bilig online. Further information on this program can be found at bilig.yesevi.edu.tr.

Last year we noticed how some journals with similar interest areas took bilig as a model. We find this very pleasing, and we would like to thank these journals and wish them success.

The 72nd issue includes a portfolio on foreign politics, which began through the efforts of Prof. Dr. Cihat Göktepe, the former member of our Editorial Board. I hope you enjoy the articles in this portfolio. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Dr. Cihat Göktepe, his colleagues and the academics who have submitted articles for all their contributions to the preparation of this portfolio.

Wishing you a happy 2015,

Prof. Dr. Nurettin Demir

Editor-in-Chief